


MV 21  Happy Birthday

by katbear



Series: Master's Voice [21]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Reality, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anal Sex, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cosplay, M/M, Oral Sex, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-08-05 15:06:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16369913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katbear/pseuds/katbear
Summary: Qui has a birthday and the boys celebrate.





	MV 21  Happy Birthday

  
_Thursday Evening_  


Ben had an issue.  It had been bothering him for several days, but he had been dreading bringing it up.  On the one hand, he didn't want to come across like a jerk, especially this close to Qui's birthday, which was only a little over a week away.  On the other hand, if he didn't say anything at all, it would probably keep niggling at him like a sore tooth that wouldn't heal.

Seven-thirty clicked over on his desktop digital clock.

"Damn.  I don't want to bother him if it's real late when he makes it home."  Ben chewed on his lower lip for a bit.  He had been working himself up to this and didn't want to have to put it off any longer.

He perked up when he heard heavy bootsteps on the floor above.  It sounded like Qui, but Jane would almost certainly insist on feeding him before he came down.  Ben went out to the main room and began pacing.

An immensely long twenty minutes finally ended with the sound of clunk, clunk on the wooden stairs and the click of the doorknob.

Ben stopped by the table and waited until the door opened before walking forward.  He noticed that Qui looked tired and there was a pungent whiff of dried sweat, but he was happy to see his lover's face light up and arms open wide.  They met between table and door for a tight embrace, followed by a long kiss.  Ben was so used to the heavy equipment belt digging into his middle that he seldom noticed it anymore.  Finally, they broke apart, forehead to forehead.

"How's my boyo this evening?"

"Always better when I'm with you.  Hard day?"

"Still trying to track down the eejit running around in the forest who seems to think he's some sort of mountain man.  Found some traps he'd laid, very poorly, and ripped the bloody things out.  Thank the saints we didn't find any with poor wee animals caught in them."

"That would be awful.  Glad you were able to get rid of them."  Ben hesitated, feeling a bit like his concerns were very trivial compared to his mate's doings, but cleared his throat and charged ahead.  "Um… maybe this isn't a good time, but would you mind terribly if we talked about a few things?"

"Of course we can talk.  That's a promise I made and intend to keep.  I would ask if we can be waiting a bit so I can take a shower."  Qui grimaced.  "Did a lot of snowshoeing and mucking about today and 'tis not a stink I'd be wishing on ye later."

"That's a wizard idea.  No rush, I'll be at my desk."

Ben smiled and retreated to their bedroom to give Qui some privacy since most of his clothes were in the big wardrobe or storage chest in the main room.  He sat down in front of his computer and fiddled with a game of solitaire, but he couldn't focus on it and ended up shutting it off.

Sitting back in his chair, Ben closed his eyes and went over what he wanted to say.  His right hand wandered of its own accord and came to rest on an object under his t-shirt.  Ben went still for a moment, then carefully removed the object and held it in his hand.

"Jesus, it's only been a few months and I've already been taking this for granted."  Ben stared at the round emblem on the silver chain.  Slowly, he ran a finger around the Celtic knots of the border, then the two hands holding the crown-topped heart.  "I hope I don't fuck this up tonight."

A knock at the door was followed by the appearance of a head with wet hair combed back.  "Ready for a chat?  Water or beer?"

"Yeah.  Water's fine."

Ben stood up and trailed Qui out to the table.  He sat down, one hand clasped around the Claddagh, as Qui fetched two bottles of water from their small fridge.

"So what's on your mind this evening?"

"Well, I've been thinking about something, and that sort of led to thinking about something else… and, um…"  Ben clenched his hands and remembered what he was holding.  "First off, I need to say that this," he opened his hand to show the Claddagh, "what it represents, and you, are incredibly important to me.  I don't want you to think I'm whining or just being an asshole about something."

"What I'm already thinking is we have work to do on our relationship if you're feeling the need to say that."  Qui took the chain from around his own neck, held up the silver chrome skeleton key.  "This, and what it represents, are huge for me, too."  He paused a moment before slowly leaning over.  He put the key, heart side down, over the Claddagh in Ben's hand and closed his hand around Ben's.  "A little reminder that whatever we say now is just between us, meant to help and not hurt.  Agreed?"

"Yes."  Ben felt a little rush of heat at the words and was encouraged about continuing.  He sat up a little straighter.

"Okay, right.  I've got two things I want to talk about:  one about something that happened, and one about things that might happen in the future.  I want you to hear me out before you answer."

Qui nodded.

"I understand that we are different people, we come from different backgrounds and have different personalities.  I know I still have issues I'm working on, too.  So the first thing is about that night at UPA, when you were saying goodbye to Rebecca Barklay, in particular the argument we had in the supply room."  Ben noticed the brief tension in Qui's hand and his shoulder starting to move, then relax.  "I was wrong for being jealous, about not saying anything and letting my anger stew.  I also know we were both getting pretty hot.  The problem I have, the thing that's been bothering me, is the way you responded when I said something about how a normal person would've seen what you were doing with her as one hell of a hot kiss, right there in public.  You don't do it often, but sometimes you do come across as dismissing something I've said because you're right, you're older, you're more experienced, and those things may all be true.  But I felt disrespected, like what I said wasn't even worth your time to consider.  I don't know, maybe I'm over-reacting, but if I am then I don't know how I should deal with that so I still feel like an equal partner in our relationship."

The room was suddenly still.  Ben could barely hear himself breathing as he stared at Qui, who seemed to have withdrawn mentally.  The silence lingered and Ben grew anxious, wondering if he had just stepped in a pile of shit.  His gut tightened as seconds became minutes.

Qui finally blinked, took a long breath, then let it out slowly.  "No, you're not over-reacting.  My first thoughts about what you just said tell me I've been thick again.  I considered what we both said that night…" his hand tightened over Ben's, "and I ran right over you because I only saw it my way.  Didn't even bloody hesitate.  Not one whit.  And if you'd tried to argue some more, I'm pretty sure I would have slammed you down since I was bullheaded, hot and not listening."  Qui sighed.  "It's not just you who has issues to work on, Ben.  I can be stubborn and not always seeing or hearing everything.  When it's a matter of principle, when I think I'm doing the right thing, that's one thing, and I don't care if I get in trouble for it.  But what happened that night, that was just letting my temper get the better of me."  He shook his head.  "I was wrong and I apologize.  I do respect you.  We bring different strengths and weaknesses to the table, but you're right that we need to be equals in our relationship.  I am sorry for being a thick-headed eejit."

Ben let out a big breath of his own.  "Thank you."

"Am I that much of a bastard you were afeared to be bringing it up?"  Qui raised one quizzical eyebrow, but his expression was serious.

"No, I don't think you're like that – this was about me being uncertain about myself.  I didn't realize how much I resented it until later.  The longer I waited, the less sure I was that I had a real issue.  It was just…"

"It kept bothering you, aye?"

"Yeah."

"Then you were right to say something."  Qui smiled.  "Maybe I should be making you a special stick for thwacking me up the side of me head when I'm being stupid."

"Sounds like a good birthday present."  Ben grinned.

"I'll be putting it on me list for October."  Qui squeezed Ben's hand briefly.  "So what's the future thing you're wanting to discuss?"

"Right.  I got to thinking about how different we are about physical contact in public.  I know you're big into touching people – I don’t mean just indiscriminately going up to strangers and hugging them, but with people you know or who like that sort of thing, like the Lavender Ladies.  It's part of who you are and I've been getting used to that.  In private, I love it when we touch, when we're intimate, just being close to you makes me feel wonderful.  With Jane or Rafa, I'm okay because their hugs make me feel like we're a real family.  In public, with people I know, I like the occasional hug or a bro-hug, probably 'cause I never got enough of that sort of thing growing up."  Ben leaned closer and put his other hand on top of their clasped hands.  "And when we get married, I'd love to be able to touch you in public, too, because I'm so proud that you're mine.  But I don't know when I'll be able to do that, the public thing like holding hands or kissing, and it really bothers me to have to ask you to keep the PDAs put away when I know how much that means to you."

"Ben, my love."  Qui added his free hand to their joined expression.  "I know it's a problem for you, at least for now.  You may have to remind me sometimes because it's just habit for me, but I don't want to do anything that makes you uncomfortable in public.  We'll work on it together.  I’m hoping someday the rest of the world gets over their bigotry, but until you're ready I can be keeping my hands to myself."

"Thanks.  Even if the world, or at least this part of Wyoming, never gets over itself, I think that eventually I'm just going to be ready to say 'to hell with it' and kiss you right out in front of everybody."

 "I'll be looking forward to that."  Qui pulled them both up to their feet and wrapped Ben in a big hug.

 *** *** ***

  
_Friday Evening_  


Ben was in a good mood today.  He and Qui had both woken early and Qui had apologized again for his behavior, making it up to Ben with an enthusiastic blow job.  Work had been interesting, with a chance to practice his welding again when Kaz had come in for the afternoon.  To top the day off, they were having a family dinner and game night.  He was whistling a little as he went up the stairs.

Lively chatter filled the kitchen along with enticing aromas.  Liz and Linda had joined them tonight, bringing along a big sweet-potato pie and a gallon jug of homemade raspberry tea.

A lovely pot roast with mounds of vegetables was resting on the stove.  Jane gave it a final check as Liz put finishing touches on a garden salad.

"Just leave a place there for Rafa," said Jane.  "She said she might be a little late, something about finishing a lab."

"Okay."  Ben added plates to the silverware settings around the wood table.  "Qui should be up any minute."

Last-minute bustle was quickly wrapped up, hot rolls were removed from the oven, food and beverages placed on the table and people were just beginning to help themselves when Rafa came in.

"Hi.  Sorry I’m late.  I picked up the mail from the box while I was coming in."  She set the small pile down by their message board, but stopped and pulled out one particularly large envelope.  "Ben, I think you might want to open this one.  I believe it might have some news we're very all interested in."  She took the envelope over to Ben. 

Ben took the large, thick envelope, noticed the return address and stopped breathing.

"Ben?  You alright, boyo?"

"Uh, yeah… right."  Ben shook himself a little.  "Fine."

"Must be something exciting."  Linda, who was sitting on Ben's left, poked his arm.  "Open it, sugar."

Ben looked around and everyone was nodding and smiling.  He felt a bit sheepish at his reaction, since he was already pretty sure what was in the envelope but hoped he was right, as it had been a lot of work and a big decision to try for this.  "Okay, here goes."  Carefully he slit open one end, making sure not to cut into the university seal in the upper corner.  He pulled out a thick sheaf of paper and began reading the top page, a grin spreading wider and wider on his face.

Linda poked him again.  "Share, share!"

"I've been accepted for the fall semester as an incoming junior!"  The second sheet was a fancy certificate announcing his matriculation – he passed that around so everyone could see it.

Ben kept leafing through the packet as he responded to the round of congratulations – schedules, an evaluation of his credits, courses he would need for his mechanical engineering major, a list of costs.  He got to a folder at the bottom of the package and opened it.

His eyes lit up as he read the request to come in for an interview and the list of available dates and times; he was a finalist for a merit scholarship from the engineering department.  Purely merit, not needs-based!  A few moments later, a huge realization crashed his mood.

"Oh fuck!"

"Language at the table, Mister Kennan."  Jane raised an admonitory eyebrow.

"Sorry, I just…"  Ben stared down at the paper in dismay.

Linda plucked the page from his hands and gave it a quick peruse.  "This is good news, honey."  She looked around.  "Ben's got a shot at a scholarship."  She handed it back.  "Lawdy, what's the problem?  You're a nice presentable young man, and I'd bet my mam's secret honey-glaze recipe you've got top grades."

"Ummm… yeah, I look good on paper or I guess I wouldn't have made the list…"  Ben grimaced and hunched his shoulders.

"Jaysus, this is about clothes again, isn't it?  Which also means it's about money, too."

"Uh huh."  Ben nodded miserably.  "I don't have any of the clothes I should have for a proper interview.  I can't go in looking like I'm disrespecting them by showing up in jeans.  I should be wearing at least a basic suit, even if it's not a spiffy three-piece like I wore when I was first applying at colleges."

"But this is Wyoming, Ben," said Rafa.  "I don't think they require a suit, do they?"

"That is a good point, Rafa.  I expect a blazer and dress slacks would be fine."  Liz looked at Ben.  "This isn't just about disrespecting the university, I think.  This is also about you being comfortable with yourself and the image you want to present, the image you were taught was appropriate for that kind of situation."

"That's probably right.  It was drilled into me that you had to dress correctly for whatever you were doing.  There were certain social standards you had to adhere to, and I guess I'm not nearly as over that as I thought I was."  Ben shook his head.  "But I don't have even a blazer or dress slacks, and I’m not sure I can spend a lot of money for things like that, clothes of proper quality.  Maybe I could find something decent at one of the thrift stores…"

Liz and Linda had a brief whispered conversation, then nodded at each other.

"What if you could earn some nice clothes instead of having to buy them?' asked Liz.  "Honest work, but probably very different from anything you've done before."

"Well, sure, if I can fit it in with my job."

Liz glanced at the kitchen clock.  "After we finish eating, I'll put a call in to a friend of ours.  I think he'll be willing to make a deal.  In the meantime, let's enjoy our meal.  And congratulations again, for both the admission and the opportunity for a scholarship."

"Thanks."  Ben gathered all his papers back together and set them aside.  Happiness over the confirmation of his admission warred with dismay over the interview; in the end he didn't remember very much of what he ate.

They finally made it to dessert and were lingering over coffee when Liz pulled out her cell phone.  "I'll see if he's home."  She dialed a number and waited.  "Marcel, mon ami, do you have a few moments to talk?"

A spate of liquid French followed and Ben's limited schoolboy knowledge of the language was quickly left far behind.

"Un moment, s’il vous plait."  Liz put a hand over the phone.  "Ben, are you available this Sunday around three?"

"Yes."

"He wants you to not shave until then, bring your motorcycle and if you have leathers, wear those.   That okay?"

"Uh, yeah, sure.  I can manage that."

"Great."  Liz smiled and dove back down into the French whirlpool, finally emerging ten minutes later.

"All set.  I'll give you the address and we'll meet you there since we were already going for dinner.  Linda, I hope you don't mind that I promised him a bottle of that noxious rum concoction you make."

"It's for a good cause, so no problem.  Been meaning to make up a fresh batch anyway if you want to be my taster."  Linda had a broad grin.

"Gods no.  Keep that stuff in the garage.  Even the smell is horrific."

"Um, if I could interrupt, I didn't know you spoke French, which was way too fast for me to follow, so I was wondering what you signed me up for?"

"The French was from a tour I did with NATO.  I liked the sound of it and decided to become proficient."

"And ooh la la, it's damned sexy, too."  Linda made a deep 'rrrrrowwwer' in her throat.

"Later, hot lips."  Liz's expression was prim, but there was a twinkle in her eyes.  "Sunday, you will get to meet Marcel, photographer extraordinaire.  He's always looking for interesting subjects, so you will be doing a test shoot for him in return for some nice clothes.  And don't worry, he's very tasteful, you'll both sign an agreement that none of the pictures can be sold and he'll send you copies if you want.  If he likes what he sees after he's had a chance to study the results, he might ask you back for some paid work."

"He keeps clothes around for this type of thing?"

Linda laughed.  "Oh, lordy-do-da, does he ever have clothes!  Rooms full of clothes and props and a big ol' barn converted to studios.  He knows how to dress anyone for any mood or scene he needs."  She tapped Ben's arm.  "And don't worry about Marcel; you're safe with him.  His biggest passion seems to be photography.  I haven't quite figured out yet if he's a particularly picky bi or an ace, but either way he's a sweet little man."

"Uhhhh…."  Ben was feeling like he should be picking up his jaw and eyeballs and putting them back in their proper places - Linda did occasionally have that effect on him.

"Don't worry about anything, Ben."  Liz was typing something into her phone and gave a final tap.  "I just sent you Marcel's address.  It's about a half-hour drive from here, and he does like punctuality."  She stood up and continued briskly, "Let's clean up so we can get to the games."

*** *** ***

By early Sunday afternoon, Ben was both curious and a little anxious.  Since he didn't know Marcel's last name, he hadn't tried to look him up on the internet so as not to have any preconceived ideas if he found the wrong one.  His facial hair tended to grow quickly, so he had a decent stubble which was starting to itch, although Qui had pronounced it quite sexy-looking.  Myrna and his leathers were clean, and the weather was clear with dry roads.

"You're looking antsy, boyo."  Qui turned around in his desk chair and grinned as his mate paced.  "Surely taking a few pictures 'tis nothing to be fretting about."

"It just seems kind of a weird thing to do, but if I get what I need for the interview, it'll be worth it.  I know I told my mother she could pay for my tuition and fees, but this particular scholarship is a thousand dollars for just about anything, including books and transportation, so that will help a lot."

"Aye, that was a pretty scary list of all those costs you showed me."  Qui shook his head.  "'Tis a lot more money than I remember ever needing for my degree."

Ben snorted.  "All you probably needed way back then was a slate and some chalk."

"Here now, I'll have you know we had real paper and pencils."  Qui waggled a finger.  "With erasers on the bloody things, no less.  'Twas right modern.  And I only had to walk three miles in the snow uphill both ways to get to the school from my little one-room log cabin."  He hmmmphh'd.  "You youngsters these days.  Don't realize how easy you've got it."

Ben couldn't help laughing at Qui's expression of feigned outraged dignity.  "I've got plenty of appreciation for all our new-fangled conveniences."  He went over and leaned down to whisper in Qui's ear.  "And I've got even more appreciation for old rangers who've still got a lot of gas in the tank."

The chair went over as Qui rose and snagged his lover.  He kissed him hard and started to work his way along Ben's jawline, but he suddenly pulled back.

"Jaysus, but you've got rough whiskers.  I’m getting a bloody road rash."

"Don't worry, I'll be shaving it all off.  Although if I let it grow out, it actually gets kind of soft once it's long enough."

 "Warn me if you've a notion to sprout long face-fuzz.  I'll be finding other things to kiss for a while."  Qui waggled an eyebrow.

"I'm sure we could work something out."  Ben laughed again.  "Hey, I should be going.  Liz said the guy likes punctuality."

"Aye, best be getting on then.  I need to get caught up on laundry, but I'll probably be out in the barn working on a project when you get back."

"Okay.  Love you."

"Love you, too.  See you later."

It was a beautiful day for a ride – brilliant sunshine, a gentle fifty degrees with barely a breeze, intense white clouds lazing in a blue sky.  Ben caught sight of Liz's Jeep and followed them the last few miles, then off the road and up a long driveway through tall pines.  They emerged into a large graveled open area in front of a rambling old two-story house connected to what looked like a huge barn.  Thirty feet from the first house was a smaller house, also two stories but clearly much newer; a covered walkway connected the large screened porches of the houses.

People began emerging from both houses as they parked.  Linda had just deposited two boxes on the hood of the Jeep when the group descended upon them.  There were many hugs and excited conversations mostly in French or Linda's southern slang.

Ben stood back, helmet in one hand, watching.  There was a strong family resemblance among most of them.

Liz broke free and gestured to Ben to come over.

"Ben, this is Marcel Labord.  He will be taking the pictures.  Marcel, this is Ben Kennan, the young man I told you about."

Marcel looked about sixty, hair just turning gray.  He was only five-five, with a slender build and piercing brown eyes.  His handshake was firm but not overbearing.

"And this is Martine, Marcel's sister.  She's the business manager." 

She was clearly Marcel's twin, with the same eyes and smile.  She opted for a quick hug.  "My husband, John, is fixing a plumbing leak in the house, but there are lots of other family representatives."  She rattled off names of daughters, a son-in-law, her teenage son and three grandchildren.  Ben couldn't match them all, but he did notice the teenager, Anson, was longingly eyeing Myrna.

"Alright, you lot!"  Martine raised her voice.  "Uncle Marcel has business with Mr. Kennan, so let's get the boxes inside."  She made shooing motions.  "Sorry for the noise, but we are doing a birthday party for two of the little ones after dinner," she said to Ben.  "Linda has promised to make pictures for them, and I'm afraid they are quite excited."

"Not a problem at all.  I've seen Linda's work and I'd be excited, too."  Ben smiled at the departing horde and noticed Linda had hoisted the youngest up for a ride on her shoulders.  "She does well with children."

"They adore her."  Marcel had an indulgent smile, then turned serious.  "Let's head for the barn, shall we?  Please bring your motorcycle along, if you would."  He gestured at Myrna.

"Of course."

Martine smiled at Anson, who had been hanging back.  "Anson, be a dear and please open the big door for us."

"Oui, maman."  He ran over and heaved open a large wooden door on wheels, then closed it again after everyone was inside.

"Our office is right here."  Marcel led the way toward a room with a glass door and windows.

"Anson, would you like to meet Myrna?" called Ben.  He looked at Martine, who nodded.  He made the introductions and told the boy he could sit on Myrna while they talked.

"That was very nice of you, Ben."  Martine smiled as she looked out the glass window.  Anson's face had a smile a yard long as he reverently ran his hands over the controls.

"She has a name?"

"Yes, sir.  That is Myrna."

"Good to know," said Marcel.  "Let us get the formalities out of the way."

They spent about ten minutes going over paperwork, signing an agreement that neither would sell any pictures taken during the session.  They discussed why Ben needed clothes so Marcel and Martine could mentally peruse their inventories.  Marcel described in general terms what he wanted to do, which was to take a series of pictures of Ben in his leathers, with and without Myrna, then have Ben change for different pictures, then for the final series Ben would shave and don interview clothes.

"Just relax, be yourself and don't try to 'pose'.  I will give directions for you to walk, stand or sit as needed."

"I understand."

Martine got a list of Ben's clothing sizes, then went back to the house.  For the next hour Ben walked up and down the long center of the barn, wheeled Myrna along, sat on Myrna, then sat sideways on her.  Marcel had a dry wit and was clearly well-practiced at putting his models at ease, so Ben was actually enjoying the session.

"Think about how you feel when you are out riding your beautiful Myrna.  Good, good."  The camera eagerly clicked away.

Ben went to a changing room and emerged in loose beach pants and a sleeveless t-shirt with a very deep 'V'.  In a heated studio Ben sat on a chair, leaned against a table, sprawled on a soft mat as he thought about relaxing at a beach and sat with one knee up, an arm carelessly draped over it.

A knock on the door was followed by the entrance of an older woman with a rack of clothing.  "I brought the samples so we can dress our young man for his interview."

"Ah, thank you, maman."  Marcel turned to Ben.  "This is my mother, Marielle.  She is a genius with cloth."

"Now, even though you are applying as a student, you have lived and successfully supported yourself as an adult, so the image you want is professional, competent but not prideful or overbearing.  I have met very many of the university people here - you will not be dealing with ordinary engineering professors, but American western engineering professors, who respect strength, intelligence and independence.  The three-piece suit – pfffhht."  Marcel made a disdainful gesture.  "That is the wrong message, you are still foreign even though you have lived here for a year, you have not bothered to understand them.  But to go too far the other way, the gaudy boots, the fancy stitched cowboy shirts, even the polo tie with the bucking horse, also pffhht.  As soon as you open your mouth to speak, they will recognize you are from the east and have not learned or do not care that those things are for natives or tourists.  Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir.  I think so.  I need to go with tasteful, kind of conservative but not too buttoned-up.  Self-confident but not showy."

"Yes.  You will no doubt see some of the professors or even other applicants in nice jeans and flashy belt buckles, but you are not of them yet, and we want to emphasize solid quality over show for you.  You must be comfortable in your skin, as they say, which in this case means your clothing.  Let us begin."

Ben shaved with an electric razor Marcel provided.  They then spent the better part of an hour taking pictures as they mixed and matched blazers, dress slacks, shirts and shoes before both Marcel and Marielle pronounced themselves satisfied.  The final product included two very nice blazers, three different pairs of dress slacks in navy, khaki and black, a leather belt, four shirts with matching ties and pocket squares and two pairs of shoes.  Marielle had been taking extensive notes and pinnings of where she wanted to make alterations so they fit even better.

Ben was looking at himself in a full-length mirror as they did the last set.  "This is really wicked fantastic and you were absolutely right, I do feel good wearing this, comfortable and confident.  But I don't know that I can take so much, I mean that's incredibly nice material and I didn't do very much for you…"

"Ben, please be gracious when people want to do nice things for you.  It makes them happy to be helpful."

Ben jerked his head around, the words almost making him think Qui had showed up, but it was Liz standing inside the door with a small smile as she leaned on her cane.  He could feel the almost instant flush crawling up the back of his neck.

"He does look ever so precious when he blushes like that, don't you think?"  Liz's smile got bigger as Marielle poured out something in French. "Yes, he is indeed tres beau."

"Ben, you have given me many exciting new pictures to think about.  That is an opportunity I do not get very often.  And if I am going to do something in return, it will be done right.  Many people have helped me in my life – if you want to repay this favor, find others to help in turn.  Clothes, those are just so many pieces of cloth, and I have far more than I know what to do with.  It makes my heart feel good to do this for you."

"And it is great fun dressing handsome young men," said Marielle with a wink.

Ben's blush deepened to a bright red as his cheeks burned.  "I… I don't even know where to start.  This scholarship interview does mean an awful lot to me and I know I'll do so much better due to your generosity.  Thank you so very much."

They spent a few more minutes with last details.  Marielle said the alterations would be complete in about a week, and they decided she could drop everything off with Jane or Liz since they would all be at church together.  Ben changed back into his own clothes, Marcel got in a last few pictures outside and Ben was finally on his way, his head still buzzing from the experience.

*** *** ***

Later that night, Ben was alone in their living room as Qui was working on a project in the barn, some sort of corner bookcase so he could move his small stereo off his desk.  Ben set down the novel he'd been half-heartedly reading and thought about his experience with Marcel.  It really had made a big difference in the way he felt about himself once he had clothes that made him feel 'right'; now he was actually looking forward to the scholarship interview.  He was also getting some ideas about another big experience coming up shortly and planning on how the 'right clothes' could help him pull it off.  He grinned as he sketched out in his head what he wanted and decided to make a trip to some of the local thrift stores since those were actually the likeliest places to have what he had in mind.

The rest of the week seemed to pass all too quickly as the fourteenth of April loomed larger and larger.  Midway was still gearing up for the busy spring and summer seasons coming up and was already getting requests for stored motorcycles to be spruced up for spring riding as the snow retreated further and further from the land.  Ben was making his final preparations for his 'special gift', hiding his newly acquired bits of clothing and trying to find time to practice when Qui wasn't around.  Jane only smiled when either of them asked what the birthday dinner would be and told them not to worry.

They had one scare Wednesday night – Qui's supervisor called and said two of their team were out sick and Qui might have to work Saturday and possibly Sunday as well.  Although Qui ended up pulling sixteen hours on Thursday, both of the other rangers reported that they planned to be in by Friday morning after their battles with a twenty-four hour bug.

Ben snapped awake as the alarm buzzed, but a large hand silenced it before Ben could reach over.  He yawned and stretched as that same hand twitched the lamp on before pulling blankets over a tousled head.

"Do you have to go in today?  You had a hell of a long day yesterday."

"Mmmphmmm…"  Qui stirred enough to roll up to one side and stick his head partially out.  "In at ten.  Be home by four.  Sleep…."  He dragged the covers back up.

"Okaaaay.  That works for me."  Ben smiled fondly as he carefully extricated himself from the bed.  He gathered his clothes, turned off the lamp and quietly slipped out to the main room so Qui could slumber undisturbed.

Ben found himself whistling as he entered the maintenance bay at Midway Motorcycles.  The weather was holding steady as April slowly warmed up; it was staying cold at night but dry, so riding was safe, a fact which made Ben and Myrna both very happy.

"You're in a good mood today."  Frank, Ben's boss, was standing in his office doorway sipping a cup of coffee.

"Beautiful morning, I've got a whole weekend off and it's finally decent enough to ride regularly."  Ben grinned.  "Going out tonight, too.  Some kind of Irish dance party at a local pub."

"Sounds like fun.  Got a couple jobs already this morning, but we should be able to get you out of here this afternoon on time – the Narveens and Wevers each want both of their bikes out of winter storage, and there's a trouble ticket in the system on a drop-off from Gorby Torrance, bike's hard to start.  Priority to the Torrance job."

"Yes, sir.  I'll get started right away."

Ben enjoyed his day.  The first job proved to be more challenging than he had expected, but he liked the feel of success when he finally tracked down the problem and was able to fix it.  The de-winterization/prep jobs were simple enough that he could divert part of his attention to anticipation of his evening, but he made sure he was meticulous in his QA for all four bikes.  The remainder of his afternoon went to Tony as they prepared for the next upcoming basic motorcycle safety course for the police department.

The sight of a battered pickup truck in the carport put a big grin on Ben's face when he pulled in at five.  It meant Qui was already home so their evening (and hopefully Saturday) plans were most likely still on.

Ben didn't see Qui when he got down to the basement, but the sound of the shower running was reassuring.  He stripped down to jeans and t-shirt, emerging from the bedroom as Qui was coming out of the bathroom with just a towel around his waist.

A kiss and long hug set Ben's heart racing with all that luscious bare skin to embrace, but he sternly told his nether self to save it for later.

"How's my boyo tonight?"  Qui leaned back with a grin.  "I'm thinking you like what you see."

"Well, it's kind of obvious I'm not the only one."  Ben grinned back and waggled an eyebrow.

"Aye, 'tis true."  Qui laughed.  "Might want to be saving those thoughts for tomorrow.  We'll be needing all that energy for the dancing first."

"That's a good point, but don't think I'll forget."

"Such a one-track mind, boyo."  Qui shook his head, but there was a gleam in his eye.  "I'd best be getting dressed.  I doubt Jane would appreciate me showing up for dinner in the altogether."

Ben grinned.  "Yeah, I imagine so.  I'll grab a quick shower and then join you upstairs."

Anchored by another of Jane's great meals, Qui and Ben got the old truck going and headed into town.  By half past seven they were pulling into the big parking lot that faced the row of various establishments.  Holding down the mid-block was the two-story, dark brick building with the modest circular wooden sign in italic script proclaiming “Connall’s Pub” with a Gaelic harp in the center.

They went through the doors into a warmth already buzzing with chatter and laughter.  Ben looked around, remembering the solid, comfortable feel of the place.  He noticed that the area in front of the stage had already been cleared except for benches lining the walls.

"Quilan Finn!  Sure, and 'tis a wonderful sight for sore eyes you are."

Ben had to think a moment as a short redhead engulfed Qui in a laughing hug.  Shanara, that was her name, and… yeah, the tall, young flame-haired beauty behind the bar was her daughter, Michelle.

"Ben!  Welcome back."

Ben got his own hug.  "I heard there's going to be a party tonight and couldn't resist."

"Aye.  'Twill be a grand time and thanks for coming."

She gathered their jackets.  "We're using the trading corner for coats tonight, so I'll just put these away for you."

"Hey!  Over here, guys!"

Gavin Maloney, one of the Forest Service maintenance techs, was waving at them, so they headed over to the huge corner booth he had commandeered.  He still had a wayward cowlick and the Boston accent that had first attracted Ben's attention at the New Year's party Qui had taken him to.  There were bro-hugs all around before Qui and Ben found places in the group of Gavin's 'east coast refugees' already gathered and ordered their first beers.  Gavin grinned as he watched Qui work his usual charming magic with the waitress to make extra bowls of pretzels and fresh popcorn appear on their table.

The beer was cold and Ben felt warm inside.  The large group meant he could innocently press close to Qui's side on the bench seat, their jeans seam to seam, and he enjoyed the mix of accents that reminded him of his former home.  He was already glad they had come and the evening was barely getting started.

About ten to eight, the buzz intensified as a group of musicians gathered on the stage and prepared their instruments.  People began drifting toward the open floor, either standing or claiming a spot on a bench.  Gavin's group was already well-positioned since their booth was the last in the row before the dance floor.

Promptly at eight, Tommy Connall stepped up on the stage and waved at the crowd.  "WELCOME!" he boomed out on the mike.  Cheers and whistles answered him.  He waited a moment for the ruckus to die down before continuing.  "We are very happy to see so many people here for the ceili tonight.  For any newcomers out there, let me give you a quick rundown.  It's a very casual party and everyone is welcome to dance.  Our band tonight is the Shaughnessy Family –" he pointed at the musicians and waited again for applause to recede "and Siana Clayton will be doing the honors tonight as caller."  More applause.  "This isn't like a square dance, so as caller Siana will just be providing general reminders for when and where to move.  The band will be doing three sets with half-hour breaks in-between, and the dances are simpler group or circle dances, so you'll likely end up dancing with all sorts of other people, not just one partner.  We'll be starting off with a quick review of how to move with your threes and sevens before we head into Siege of Ennis.  Both the first and second floors will be open until two if you want a break or a bite to eat and we'll also be leaving half the floor cleared if any musicians want to join the informal jam session after the dancing.  Now, let's form up lines to practice a few movements."

Ben joined the surge toward the floor and ended up in the second row from the stage.  He introduced himself to the young man and woman to either side and apologized in advance for messing up any of the steps.

Siana stepped up to the mike.  "Basic movements slowly first, then we'll try it with a beat.  Threes for going forward and back, then sevens for moving sideways." She pointed to two other people on stage.  "Follow Joey and Regan's leads."

After ten minutes of practice, Siana pronounced them all world-class hoofers, which drew a round of laughter.  "Time for some dancing.  Let's all form up for Siege of Ennis, four opposite four.  Remember, it's a progressive dance so we'll keep going through several iterations."

Ben managed to hang in for the entire dance, only missing a few steps here and there.  Everyone was in a forgiving party mood, and he wasn't the only one new to the dances, so he was pleased with his performance and definitely warmed up.

"Walls of Limerick is next.  Lines of two opposite two."  Siana took some sips from her mug as people shuffled around to form long lines facing each other.  "And away we go – advance and retire twice!"

The reel was lively and Ben was soon sweating.  His first two by two group was with three women of various ages, but as they all worked their way down the line he danced with men and women, including a few precious minutes with Qui, who was clearly also happy with the opportunity.

"Great job, everybody.  We'll take a few minutes to let you catch your breath and then finish the first set with the Fairy Reel, lines again but with three opposite three.  I see some new people – come join in."

By the time they finally finished, Ben was breathing hard and was glad he had worn his comfortable sneakers instead of his engineer boots.  He rejoined Gavin's group and found that a stack of towels, pitchers of water and fresh mugs had been left on their table.  Everyone threw in a few dollars to order pitchers of beer and more substantial appetizers to go with the free snacks. 

"How're you liking the ceili, boyo?"  Qui downed half a mug of water while they waited for the beer to arrive.

"Wicked great!" enthused Ben as he mopped his face.  "A lot more fun than running for a workout, too."

"Aye, 'tis that, indeed."

The conversation was loud and boisterous, with much chuffing between the New York and Boston contingents about respective food and baseball teams.  Ben threw his support behind Gavin even though he wasn't much of a sports fan, and Qui threw in some provocative comments about the superiority of soccer over boring baseball that drew boos from everyone except a woman on the university soccer team, who lustily cheered as she tapped beer mugs with Qui.

The rest of the evening continued much the same.  The remaining two sets featured several different dances, all well attended, and Ben burned off most of the beer he was imbibing so that by the end of the final set he was simply feeling remarkably mellow rather than drunk.  There was much applause for the musicians and Siana after the final dance regretfully came to an end. 

Tommy thanked everyone for coming and invited them to stay a while to wind down the night as some of his staff moved tables back onto half of the open floor.  Slower recorded music came on softly in the background as people returned to tables or booths to talk. 

Most of their group stayed, rehashing the best parts of the night.  Several people ordered sandwiches or stew; Qui treated the table to a huge plate of fries with cheddar and Guinness dip.

Ben was still seated next to Qui and time flew by.  About midnight, several musicians, band members and locals, gathered near the stage to play in an informal jam session.  A hardy dozen souls danced in the open area.  Last call came before Ben knew it and the waitstaff began settling tabs as Tommy and Shanara made their rounds to all of the tables and booths to personally thank people for coming.

Their group made a final toast to a great time and clinked mugs together as the clock behind the bar ticked over to two.

"To a killer of a night, good friends and good fun."  Gavin raised his mug high and led everyone in draining the last of their beer.  "Until next time."

There was a last round of hugs as people stood and began dispersing.

"Thanks for pulling the table together tonight.  Had a wicked great time."  Ben got in a punch to Gavin's shoulder before they grinned at each other.  "See ya around."

The ride home was quiet as Qui and Ben let the buzz wear off.  They went in their side door to the basement so as not to disturb Jane or Rafa, then took turns using the bathroom before sliding into bed.

"Had a fantastic time tonight, Qui," murmured Ben as he cuddled close.  "Thanks for taking me."

""Twas a grand time for me, too."  He kissed Ben's forehead.  "All the better for having you there with me.  Love you."

"Love you, too."  Ben let contentment and joy fill him as they drifted off to sleep.

*** *** ***

_Saturday 14 April_

"Mmmmmmmm…."  Ben stretched, a full-body head to foot effort accompanied by a jaw-cracking yawn.  Something hard nudged his thigh, and he grinned as he turned on his side to look at the sleepy blue eyes watching him.

"How's our birthday boy?"

"I am feeling right grand.  'Twas a lovely bit of craic last night."  Qui touched a finger to Ben's face.  "And how's me boyo this morning?  Not too knackered, I hope."

"I am feeling wonderful.  All of that work keeping up with you keeps me in great shape."  Ben slid his hips forward as Qui shifted toward him.  He gave a little groan as their morning erections met.  "And speaking of keeping 'up'…"  Ben wiggled a little.

Qui laughed.  "Definitely a one-track mind, but 'tis an obsession I can enjoy."  He reached over to the nightstand and grabbed a bottle of lube.  Unsnapping the top, he poured a liberal amount over both cocks, then put it back. 

With almost simultaneous motions, Ben and Qui took each other's cock in hand.  They started slowly, caressing the hard lengths as they gently kissed.  They opted to keep a leisurely pace until the last minute of passion moved them to work fast as they brought one another to near-mutual orgasms.

They cuddled together for a few more blissful minutes until bladders made it clear it was damned well time to be getting out of bed.  They took turns using the bathroom and showering, then donned comfortable sweat clothes to wander up to the kitchen.  It was almost ten-thirty by then.

Jane was at the table working on her account book.  She looked up as they came in and smiled.  "Good morning.  Did you have a good time last night?"

"A most excellent time."  Qui dropped a kiss on her forehead. 

"There's oatmeal on the stove and fresh fruit in the fridge if you want to help yourself."

"Thanks, that sounds great.  I'll put on some hot water for tea and then make some toast," said Ben.

"I'll set the table and put the fruit out."  Qui was already heading for the cupboard to get bowls, cups and teabags.

"If you don't have any other plans, I was thinking of having a kind of early supper, say around six or so.  Liz, Linda and Misha are coming over to eat, then we're all going out to see a movie in town.  Probably go for ice cream after and then drop Misha off at school, so might be kind of late getting back."  Jane's voice was perfectly bland and matter-of-fact, but Ben was certain the movie scheme was intended to give him and Qui some privacy tonight.

"I'm sure six will be fine."  Qui waited a moment for Ben to nod agreement, "Ben and I will most likely be staying in tonight."

"Yeah, a nice quiet birthday evening," added Ben, working hard to keep his tone casual but feeling not entirely successful in that endeavor, at least judging by Jane's little half smile.

"That's settled then.  We'll be eating in the dining room."  Jane rose, put away her book and left.

It was only a few minutes of work to get their meal ready:  a stack of buttered toast, big bowls of oatmeal, bowls of assorted fruit and both opting for hot tea.  There was little conversation as they dug in to slake their thirst and satisfy their hunger.

Ben set his spoon down, then snagged a last piece of toast and slathered it with jam to go with his fresh cup of tea.  

"So, I'm laying claim to this evening, but what would you like to do this afternoon?  Stay in, go out?  Did you want to visit Magnus?"

"In the spring, I usually set aside some time for his own day.  Arbor Day is in a couple of weeks – last Monday in April here in Wyoming – so I'll be taking an afternoon off for that."  Qui took a sip of tea, then cradled his mug in his hands.  "I'm thinking we could do some Tai Chi, go for a nice run, then finish up that bookcase project I've been working on.  That should take us nigh on to dinner."

"Sounds like a plan."

Both of them cleaned up and washed their dishes, then headed back down to the basement.  They did a Yang 24 session, side by side rather than a formal teaching session.

"You're getting better all the time."

"Thanks.  I know my moves are still not as smooth as yours, but I think I'm getting the hang of the philosophy, especially about gathering energy into my center and letting go of the outside world.  I feel good when I finish a session."

"That's great progress, then.  We'll work on your two-hands pushing tomorrow."

They did some more stretching, then added an extra layer of sweats plus caps and gloves against the breeze that was blowing outside.  Qui led the way down the long driveway and out onto the road.

They took turns leading instead of trying to run side by side, Qui claiming it was not only safer but provided equal opportunity for ogling.  There was not much traffic, but it was definitely chilly, so although Ben was enjoying both the expenditure of energy and the ogling, he was happy to make it back home at the end of their hour's run.

They did some stretching in the garage, then stopped in the kitchen to make some hot chocolate before moving to the basement to take showers.  Finally, feeling warm again, Qui led the way out to the barn.

Cel poked her head out of her stall and whickered to them when they entered.  They stopped by to scratch her head and give her a carrot before going up to the second level where Qui had set up his wood-working equipment.  He snapped on additional working lights and a heater to take the slight chill off.

"Most of the hard work is already done, so we should be able to put everything together today."  Qui pointed out several pieces of varnished wood on the workbench.

"Okay, so this is one of those curved shelf bookcases?"  Ben ran his fingers over the softly gleaming sections.

"Aye.  If I measured everything properly, it should fit right in that corner at the end of the row of other bookcases.  There's an outlet close by, so I'll be putting that small stereo on the top level.  That will free up some space on me desk and should give us a bit better sound to boot."

"Great.  What can I do to help?"

"First big step is to assemble the sides, top and bottom, and then we'll put the middle shelves in."

Under Qui's guidance, they worked slowly but steadily for the next few hours.  Qui was meticulous in measuring and leveling during every step.  He had already created the top rabbet groove and shelf tongue and groove interfaces so it was mostly a matter of applying glue, sliding pieces together, adding screws, then adding the matching support blocks and molding to create the three-foot high piece of furniture.

"This looks great."  Ben ran a hand down the outside and then across a shelf.

"Aye, it did come out pretty fair."  Qui was standing back with a critical eye.  "I'm thinking it will do nicely.  We should be able to move it over and let it finish setting for a few days."

They heard the door downstairs open.

"Are you guys up there?"

They went to the railing and saw Rafa and Misha.

"Aye, we're both here."

"Jane asked if you could go back to the basement through your side door.  She's working on dinner and wants it to be a surprise."

"Of course.  We're about finished here, so we'll go on back now."

"Great.  Misha and I will feed Cel and clean her stall, so we'll see you in the dining room about six."

"We'll be there."

Ben glanced at his watch.  "It's already quarter after five. I didn't realize it was that late."

"Plenty of time.  We'll wrap the case in blankets and take it slow."

Twenty minutes later they had the new bookcase snugly in place and were sitting on the sofa admiring it.

Qui wrapped an arm around Ben and pulled him close.  "It's been a nice birthday so far."  He leaned his head close to Ben's and dropped his voice low.  "I don't suppose you could be after giving me a hint about what's coming up?"

The deep rumble so close to his ear had sparks running through Ben, but he firmly restrained the jump in blood pressure.  "Well, I think you'll like what I have planned."  He grinned snarkily.  "And I'm pretty sure we'll eventually end up in bed together."

"That part is pretty much a given even if I have to tie you up and carry you, so that wasn't very helpful, boyo."  Qui paused, a gleam in his eye.  "Do I get to tie you up?"

"That is not on the current agenda, no, but if I pull this off you won't have sufficient brain cells left to worry about that."

"Jaysus, ya little bastard, now you got me going down your one-track mind.  How'm I supposed to enjoy dinner thinking about that?"  The words were a complaint but Qui's expression was a broad grin.

Ben stood up.  "You were the one who told me a while back to learn to focus, remember?  It will be good practice for you, not that I think it will be hard given that it's Jane doing the cooking.  I'm going to use the bathroom and put on a clean shirt, then go upstairs to help out since it's only you that has to wait until six."  Ben started to turn away but stopped, one eye squinched.  "It could be helpful if you wear a shirt with buttons tonight."  He almost made it into the bathroom before a pillow hit his shoulder.

*** *** ***

The dining room had already been set up by the time Ben made it upstairs.  He and Misha were mostly at loose ends as the women consulted over the final preparations, so Jane asked them to intercept Qui at six and make sure he went directly into the dining room.  Ben was glad he had taken the precaution of earlier putting his card on the sideboard so he didn't have to worry about finding it.

Qui was prompt, so Ben and Misha escorted him to the place of honor at the end of the table.  He had opted to wear his green dress shirt with jeans, which made Ben smirk just a little.  Candles had already been lit, a 'Happy Birthday' sign had been hung on one wall and there were two large cards on the sideboard.  A few minutes after six, Rafa brought in carafes of water, Liz brought in chilled wine, Jane had bottles of Guinness and Linda carried a large bowl of salad.

"Welcome, everyone, to our bountiful birthday feast for Quilan," announced Jane.  "We tried to come up with something appropriate, so hopefully everybody will enjoy a bit different meal."

They all found their seats and got their beverage of choice.

"We're starting off tonight with purple cabbage and pecan salad.  There are a couple of bottles of dressing to pass around.  Qui, if you'll start us off, please."

"'Twould be my honor."  Qui put a generous portion of the cabbage, pecans, sliced sugar snap peas and scallions on his salad plate, then added dressing.  He took a bite and pronounced it excellent.

There was general conversation as they finished the salad down to the very bottom of the bowl.

Jane, Rafa and Linda took the salad bowl and plates away.  Jane and Linda carefully placed a large ceramic slow-cooker pot on the table while Rafa set down trays of brown bread.

Qui sniffed.  "All the saints, is that lamb and Guinness stew?  'Tis been ages since I've had that."

"It is.  I hope you like it."

The expression on Qui's face when he took his first spoonful was sheer bliss and he cheerfully set to.

Ben understood his joy when he tried it.  Rich, hearty, with generous amounts of lamb, vegetables and barley, the stew melted in his mouth and made his taste buds sing.  The brown bread, liberally covered in Irish butter, was a perfect complement.

The stream of compliments to the chef was evidence that everyone was greatly enjoying the offering.  Everybody had at least a second helping and Ben was pretty sure Jane managed to get four servings to Misha, who looked like he was in food heaven.

"I hope everyone left a little bit of room."  Jane had a smile on her face as she and Linda brought in dessert and Rafa followed with coffee and tea.  "In honor of Qui's birthday, we are finishing with Irish apple cake and green apple sorbet."  There were a numeric 4 and 3 on the cake instead of a lot of individual candles.  Jane lit the candles.  "If you would like to do the honors, sir?"  She bowed and went to her chair.

Qui smiled, made a pretense of thinking a moment, then gently blew out the flames.  "That was a hard choice.  I've already got so many good things in my life, especially good family and friends."

Jane and Ben had collected their cards – Jane presented hers first.

"We had a hard time as well trying to come up with a gift, but we decided to get together and make this a present from all of us."  She handed the large white envelope to Qui.

Ben knew what was in the card – he had put in thirty-five dollars for the group contribution to one of Qui's favorite causes, the Wildlife Conservation Center, and Rafa had matched everyone's contribution to ratchet the final total up to five hundred dollars.  He watched the little grin when Qui pulled the large card out – Linda had done a drawing of the WCC main building with cartoon animals gamboling about and Drs. Joan and Barry Spangler, the WCC veterinarians, waving from the front door.

Qui's eyes got wide when he opened the card.  Inside, Linda had taped the receipt from WCC with its 'In Honor of Quilan Finn' prominent heading and they had all signed with birthday best wishes.  He ran a finger across the receipt.

"Sure and 'tis a grand gift."  Qui's voice sounded tight.  "Thank you so much.  This means a lot to me."  He insisted on getting up and hugging each person before returning to his seat and toasting everyone.

Ben was sitting next to Qui, so he simply handed his envelope to him.  "Just a little something extra for you."

Qui opened the envelope and pulled out the sheet of heavy paper.  He read it, his head tilted, then raised an eyebrow.  "Classic Entertainment Services?  Poetry readings, ballroom dance lessons and miscellaneous quality private diversions?  Thank you, I think, but who or what is that?  Sounds right Victorian."

"Just hang on to the ticket if you want to find out."  Ben grinned and winked.

"Sounds like somebody has quite an imagination."  For once Linda refrained from her usual snarky commentary, but she did nudge Liz suggestively.

"I'm sure it will be fun, and we'll just leave it at that."  Jane handed a large knife to Qui.  "I, for one, want to try this cake as it's my first time with the recipe.  It's supposed to be a sort of spice cake with apples."

Qui cut slices and handed them around, Rafa dished out bowls of green apple sorbet and Jane poured coffee and tea.  There were delighted exclamations as people began eating and every plate was polished clean.

"This has been a wonderful birthday for sure.  The food was fabulous," Qui paused to lead applause for the meal, "and the company magnificent.  I want to be thanking all of you from the bottom of me heart for such a thoughtful, brilliant gift."

"On behalf of everyone, you are very welcome and we are happy you enjoyed it.  And not to rush you, but we do have a movie to get to, so I'd like to get started with cleanup."  Jane wagged a finger.  "And you are not to lift a finger – we'll take care of it.  In fact, Ben's job is to take you downstairs to make sure you don't try to wash dishes."

Qui laughed and meekly said, "Aye, ma'am."  He did insist on hugging and thanking everyone again before following Ben downstairs, where they both flopped on the sofa.

"That was a grand feast and a truly lovely gift, but now I'm feeling stuffed to the gills.  Much as I'd love to be finding out what you've dreamed up, I'm thinking a nice little bit of quiet time would be an excellent idea."

"Sounds good to me, too.  You stay right there and I'll see if I can't get a fire going."

Ben had actually prepared ahead of time for this possibility, so the wood was already laid, with extra logs in the hopper.  He quickly had flames leaping cheerfully.  He pulled a bottle of Irish Cream from their little refrigerator, uncorked it and brought two glasses back to the sofa, turning down the lights as he went.

"Got us a little something for relaxing."  Ben handed a glass to Qui before settling in at his side.

They sat in peaceful contentment, taking occasional small sips of Irish Cream and listening to the fire's crackle.  Ben swore he could almost hear a purr from Qui, and he smiled.  His mind kept returning to the rest of his plan for the night, though, and anticipation kept him from totally relaxing.

A half hour passed before a knock at their partially open door was followed by Rafa sticking her head in for a moment to announce that they were leaving for their movie.  Ben got up to close and lock the door.  He stopped to put a few more logs on the fire before returning to Qui's side.

"Been a lovely day," Qui murmured.  "One of the best birthdays I've had in quite a while."  He casually draped an arm around Ben's shoulders and pulled him a little closer.

"I'm glad you've enjoyed it."  Ben finished the last of his Irish Cream and savored the warm flavor.  "Would you like some more?"  He held up his glass.

Qui turned his head.  "Actually, I was thinking I'd like to know more about Classic Entertainment Services.  Is that after being a real thing?"

"Absolutely.  Very small outfit, very discreet, satisfaction guaranteed."

"And what would I need to be doing to cash in this ticket, me boyo?"

"I did tell them you'd probably want the service for tonight, so they said they'd have someone available.  If you want, you can wait in the bedroom while I call them.  I'll let their person in, bring them down and then make myself scarce so you'll have privacy."

"You'd not be there?"  Qui sat up straight.

"This is just for you.  Your own very special treat."

"Mmmmhmmm.  You're not after having me on, are ye?"

"Not at all.  I promise that if you don't like your treat, you can top for a whole month.  Is that serious enough for you?"

Qui rubbed his chin.  "Alright then."  He grinned.  "Bring it on."

"Great.  You might want to use the bathroom while I get my phone and call them."

Ben retrieved his phone and computer from the bedroom, leaving the computer on Qui's desk and making a show of just getting off a call as Qui came out of the bathroom.

"Okay, we're on.  Their person should be here in about twenty to thirty minutes.  They said be sure you have your ticket to verify the service.  I think this will work best if you wait in the bedroom."

"I can do that."  Qui went into the bedroom and shut the door.

Ben got to work.  He moved furniture so the area in front of the sofa was clear, added more logs to the fire and got a box out from under the sofa.  He took a few minutes to make sure his laptop was connected to the speakers on Qui's stereo and his music was cued up.

Taking his box into the bathroom, Ben used the facilities and then got undressed.  After putting on a leather cock ring, he took his thrift-store acquisitions and quickly put on his outfit – white socks, tighty-whities, white t-shirt, well-used black chinos that were too tight and too short, black leather belt, a white short-sleeve shirt and a skinny black clip-on tie.  He slicked his hair down with water and added the finishing touch, black plastic glasses of the type often called 'birth control glasses'.

He grinned at his appearance in the mirror.  "Not bad for all of $8.37."  Ben took his box and shoved it back under the sofa, double-checked his computer, then noisily opened the door and stomped up the steps.  He waited a few minutes at the top, then came back down, closed and locked the door.  He picked up the clipboard he had set beside the door and clicked the cheap pen.

Ben stood in front of the bedroom door for a long moment, took a few deep breaths to get in character, then knocked on the door.

Qui opened the door and stood staring at the apparition in front of him, his mouth partially open.  For a moment, Ben was afraid that Qui was going to break out laughing, but Qui managed to keep things to a cough and a disbelieving smile.

"Mr. Quilan Finn, sir?"  Ben used his best shot at anxious but earnest.

"Aye, that's me."

"I am the Classic Entertainment Services representative, sir.  May I see your ticket, sir, to verify the requested service?"

"Here 'tis."  Qui handed over the sheet.

Ben studied the ticket solemnly before checking a box on the paper on his clipboard.  "Very good, sir.  Everything is in order.  Could you please sign here that you are receiving Private Diversion number seven, sir?"

Qui took the clipboard, bemusedly signed and handed it back.  "May I be asking what is included in this number seven?"

"Of course, sir.  Our number seven includes a striptease and a lap dance, sir."

"Does it, now?"  Qui grinned.  "Do you do this sort of thing often?"

Ben managed a credible blush and slight stammer.  "Uh, I am sort of new at this, but I need the money for college."  Ben pushed the glasses back up his nose.  "I'll try very hard, sir.  And if I may be so bold, sir, you are, um, remarkably inspiring."

"I shall take that as a compliment.  So, what happens next?"

"I believe this area over here will be quite suitable, sir.  If you could sit on the sofa, yes, right there is fine, then I'll start the music."

As the first strains of Bolero played, Ben took his place standing in front of the sofa.  He stood stiffly, looking down at the floor, his hands in front of his crotch.  He took a deep breath, then ran his hands up his sides, taking his glasses off with his right hand, licking an earpiece, then sucking on the end as he peeked out from lowered lashes.  As the song continued, he tossed away the glasses and began moving.

Initially, Ben deliberately moved awkwardly, but as he kept going he let his muscles relax and become more fluid, using many elements from his tai chai moves as he shifted and floated, dancing toward and away from Qui.  The tie came off and was swung about.  As the music advanced, buttons were undone, one at a time, and tails were pulled out of his pants, letting the white t-shirt become more visible. 

Ben had edited the music so there weren't so many repetitions before the climax, making it only a few minutes before he was ready to grab the unbuttoned shirt and fling it open wide.  Ben had used red magic markers to put a large red arrow on the t-shirt that pointed down to his crotch.  He threw in a few pelvic thrusts for emphasis as he pulled the shirt off and waved it around a few times before flinging it away and standing with arms and legs spread wide.

At that point, the music changed to disco – Donna Summer's _Hot Stuff_.  Ben put his hands behind his head and did more pelvic thrusts in time with the opening drum licks.

Ben ripped off his t-shirt (having pre-cut the collar to make that easier) and his moves became more aggressive.  He pulled his belt off, swung it around, licked the length of it, then hung it around his neck with the belt pulled through the buckle so it almost looked like a tie.  He tweaked his nipples, rotated his hips, turned around and bent over to wave his ass, faced Qui again and rubbed his crotch.

Opening the top button of his chinos, Ben moved closer to Qui as he slowly slid the zipper down and ran his tongue around his lips.  Next was the trickiest part, from Ben's point of view.  He had practiced quite a few times getting the chinos off without looking silly and finally decided the best approach was to simply shove the damned things down and step out.  He managed the maneuver successfully.

Turning around, he revealed to Qui the back of his tighty-whities, which were about two sizes too small.  He had used red markers to put two handprints, one on each cheek.  He waggled his rear a few times and heard Qui laughing.

It was time for the next step – Ben faced Qui and moved in between his legs, practically waving his crotch in his face, giving him an excellent view as he massaged his growing cock.  He turned around and sat down into Qui's lap, gyrating and grinding his ass into Qui's crotch.  He could hear Qui's breath catching and feel the growing heat.  He turned again and unbuttoned Qui's shirt.  There was no t-shirt underneath, so Ben took full advantage to suck bare skin, nibble on nipples and kiss his way lower.

As the lyrics got to "wanna bring a wild man back home," Ben dropped to his knees.  He reached for Qui's jeans, giving a quick look upward to verify that Qui wanted this – his expression definitely said yes.

As he slowly unbuttoned Qui's jeans, Ben realized that Qui was wearing the black silk shorts Ben had gifted him with.  Hot flashes swept through him, making him even more enthusiastic.  He pulled Qui's cock out through the fly – it was already half erect, and he rubbed his sweaty face against it before setting to work with his tongue.

Long sweeping strokes alternating with sucking the tip quickly brought Qui to full hardness.  He moaned as Ben took him into his mouth.

Ben used his hands to squeeze Qui's balls and stroke the parts of his cock that he couldn't get into his mouth.  He set up a rhythm that Qui quickly fell into, thrusting his hips as Ben took him closer and closer to orgasm.

When Ben felt one of Qui's hands on the back of his head, pulling him in, urging him on, he knew Qui was almost there.  He doubled his efforts, sucking, caressing, squeezing.  He tasted the pre-cum and braced himself for the last hard thrusts as Qui shouted, then stiffened when his release came.

Ben held still, his heart pounding, his nose full of his lover's musk, the taste of his cum in his mouth, his tongue caressing the soft skin.  The music had stopped, leaving only the sounds of the crackling fire and heavy breathing.

"Jaysus…"

After taking a few moments to clean Qui's still partially erect cock, Ben looked up.  Qui's head was back, his chest heaving, arms limp at his side.  Ben smiled and stood.  He retrieved the ripped t-shirt to wipe his face, sweaty from both his dancing and blow job.  He put one foot on the sofa next to Qui and rested an arm on his thigh.  One eyebrow went up and he affected an air of insouciance.

"So, whatcha think?  Was that enough foreplay?  Does Classic Entertainment Services get a good review?"

Qui laughed and then turned his head, which put him at just about eye level with the cock distending the front of Ben's tighty-whities. 

"'Twas not bad."  Qui nodded.  "Aye, definitely better than decent."

Ben pretended to pout.  "But I practiced and everything."

"The evening is still early.  I'm thinking I could see my way to providing a handsome tip."  Qui leaned over and kissed the outside of the white cloth.

A shiver ran through Ben at the contact.  "I'm sure that would be greatly appreciated."

"We should probably be banking the fire and taking this somewhere a bit more comfortable."

"A good idea."  Ben stood upright and started to turn.  "Hey, you just want to ogle, don't you?"

"You're the one as put handprints on your arse.  Where did you expect me to be looking?"

Ben snorted, but put an extra swish in his hips as he went to the fireplace.  When he finished, he found that Qui had already stripped down to his black silk shorts and come up behind him.

"Nice of you to provide a helpful leash, boyo."  Qui grabbed the end of the belt still hanging around Ben's neck and pulled him into a long kiss.  When they pulled back, Qui swiftly hoisted Ben over one shoulder.

"Hey, put me down!"

"I'm taking my birthday present to play with it some more."  Qui carried Ben into their bedroom and dropped him on the bed, the belt slipping from around Ben's neck to land on the floor.  "First thing, those frigging white socks come off."  He pulled off the offending foot coverings and tossed them aside.  "Second thing…"  He dove onto the bed and gathered Ben into a tight embrace.

They kissed and tussled and laughed as hands swept bare skin and lips sought each other.  Lips moved on to suck flesh and leave marks of passion as well as teasing around hard nipples.  Qui would sneak a hand down to massage Ben's cock until his shorts made for a painfully confining prison.

"Bloody things are in the way," Qui finally muttered and stripped off the tighty-whities, leaving Ben's erection waving in the air, freed from the cloth but still at the mercy of the ring at its base.  "That's more like it."

They explored some more, then spent a while sixty-nining until both men were hard and leaking.

Qui turned and crawled up until he was face to face with Ben.  He caressed his cheek as he whispered, "Want to be in you tonight, love.  And I want to see your face."

"And I want you in me, love, any way that makes you happiest."

"Thank you, love."

Ben turned on his side as Qui fetched a bottle of lube from the nightstand.  He enjoyed Qui's careful ministrations as he oiled and stretched Ben, moaning as Qui's fingers occasionally swept his prostate.

"This way.  Want you on top."

Qui had taken off the silk shorts and was lying on his back.  His cock was a solid column of flesh waiting for Ben to mount.

Ben swallowed hard as he rose to his knees.  His pulse quickened and sparks shot through his gut at the first contact.  He held himself upright for a long moment, letting the tip of Qui's cock rest against his opening.

"Easy, love.  There's no rush."

Willing himself to relax, Ben slowly lowered himself.  He savored every inch of the journey, craving the fullness, until he was snug against Qui's balls with his own cock resting on Qui's stomach.  He closed his eyes and gave a long, heartfelt release of breath.

"Jaysus, but you are so beautiful."  Qui's eyes were dark with passion and love.  "Here, let me get that bloody thing off you."  He carefully unsnapped Ben's cock ring and began applying lube with a gentle massage.

A rush of fire, almost painful in its intensity, roared through Ben as his cock was freed.  He shuddered and leaned down to capture Qui's mouth in a hard kiss that left them both gasping.  A twitch of Qui's hips reminded him there was unfinished business.

Ben sat back upright and raised himself up until Qui was barely inside him.  He looked down at Qui and grinned.  "Ready for a ride, old man?"

"If you think you can keep up, boyo!"  Qui gave a playful tap to Ben's cock.  "Go for it!"

Ben set to work with a will.  He started out slowly, but as lust blasted into high gear, he increased his pace.  Qui matched him with thrusting hips, their rhythm punctuated by groans and barely coherent shouts.  Ben ignored the stinging sweat, the rushing blood and the quivering in his thighs.  The only thing that mattered was the cock in his ass and the hand on his own cock.

Up and down, letting gravity take him roaring down to spike himself on Qui's rod.

"Jaysus… yesyesyes."

"Fuck, yeah!  So fucking hot!"

Shouts became moans.  The bed shook as Ben pounded down onto Qui's flesh. 

Faster and faster the final dance, an erotic blast launching them into orbit.

Ben shouted when Qui erupted inside him, then fisted him over the edge.  He collapsed onto Qui, lights flashing behind closed eyes and body flooded with ecstasy.

Warmth and happiness were Ben's first impressions when he drifted back into awareness.  He was a little surprised that he had been wiped clean and was under the covers next to Qui.

"Huh.  That was good."  Ben shifted a little closer to Qui.

"Twas very good.  Are you alright?"

"I'm wonderful."  Ben looked up at the ceiling and considered the state of his body.  "Prob'ly no bike-riding tomorrow, though."

Qui gave a quiet laugh.  "I'm sure Myrna will understand.  She doesn't seem the jealous type."

"Naw, Myrna's fine.  She likes you, ya know."

"I'm glad to be hearing that."

"Happy Birthday."  Ben was already drifting off again.  "Love you."

"'Twas a very happy birthday, indeed."  Qui tenderly kissed Ben's forehead, then flicked off the light and pulled the covers up over them.  "Love you, too."

finis

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks: To the beta readers who made this a better story (Merry Amelie, starhunter79, Lady Saddlebred). All mistakes are my own.
> 
> Notes: 1. The primary setting is not based on any actual specific real location or persons but is a composite of possible geography, town features, transplanted state university, etc. 2. The federal agencies mentioned are real but liberties have been taken with some policies, practices and job duties. 3. The base story plus the first eleven sequels constitute what I consider the first story arc of Master's Voice and takes them up to the point in their internal timeline two months after Quilan moved in with Ben. Story 13 begins the next major story arc.
> 
> 4\. It’s been a while since I’ve posted, so here’s a reminder of some of the key characters. Quilan Finn – law enforcement ranger at Keogami National Forest, Ben Kennan – motorcycle mechanic, Jane Brandon – Ben & Qui’s landlady, Rafaela Romero, another boarder at Jane’s house, Celesta (Cel) – Rafa’s horse, Liz and Linda – lesbian friends of Jane, Reverend Charles Jenkins – gay pastor at Jane & Rafa’s church, Frank Mendoza – Ben’s boss at Midway Motorcycles, Maureen Kennan – Ben’s sister, Mattie – university student intern filling in between semesters, UPA - United Public Access program at the university, WCC – Wildlife Conservation Center, Mikhail Petrovich Kuznetsov (Misha) – student at university


End file.
